Jahvid Best Switches Helmets

Much was made of Jahvid Best’s epic concussion in his final college game, and there was concern he may be prone to future concussions. Best has been cleared by doctors and he was told that he should not be susceptibleto further concussions. Just in case he has switch to the newest helmet offered by Riddell.

Riddell offered the Revolution helmet in 2002 to any player that wanted to wear it in Super Bowl XXVI. Only one player from the Rams and Patriots took the offer, Rams FB James Hodgins. The Revolution helmet made the first advancements in helmet technology in 25 years by extending out near the cheek bones to reduce the impact to the side of the head and jaw. It was tested at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and it was discovered that it reduced the frequency of concussions by 31%. The following season many players, most notably Peyton Manning, switched to the Revolution helmet.

Jahvid Best wore the old style helmet in college as seen in the picture below:

In rookie minicamp, he was wearing the new Revolution Speed helmet:

Best’s leaping concussion most likely would have occurred even with the new helmet because it was his entire body weight landing on the back of his head after a six foot fall. The new helmet will help reduce his risk of concussions from more traditional contact. The NFL is heavily focusing on concussion prevention, diagnosis and treatment so it wouldn’t be a shock to see teams or the league mandating the new helmet technology in the next couple of years. In the meantime, the Lions newest offensive weapon is doing his part to keep himself safe.